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There has been no attempt to contact homeowners directly in the immediate area about this <br /> matter. That, in itself, demands this procedure be slowed down so all area residents can be notified and <br /> heard. <br /> The exact location on Neville Road is on a bend in the road, creating blind spots for traffic coming <br /> from either direction. This curve has had several accidents a year, even without having a truck pulling out <br /> just around another curve. <br /> All of the homes in the area are on well water. As all fire stations need to wash vehicles, hoses <br /> and equipment regularly and the additional drain would lower well water levels. The tank trucks also need <br /> to fill up with well water, as there are no hydrants or draw ponds in the neighborhood. There needs to be <br /> a water table data study and review made public about the potential draw from a shared well water source. <br /> The waste and run-off water from that usage would run downhill about 500 feet into Phil's Creek <br /> feeding into the University Lake Watershed reservoir. Additionally a bridge crossing this creek is failing <br /> and is overdue for replacement. It has been in the process of getting band aid repairs for its decaying <br /> wood pilings—which have already been weakened by the additional load of the county trucks that single <br /> out Neville Road to access the Ferguson Road dump station. <br /> That same small bridge is currently too narrow to let 2 pickup trucks pass in opposite directions at <br /> the same time; so what will happen with larger fire trucks? <br /> There are plenty of spots along Hwy 54 close to Neville Road with large lots big enough for a fire <br /> station and room for trucks to turn around in. Hwy 54 is a full size road zoned for multiple uses. <br /> We would have none of the following that would be welcome to them: <br /> • No public water supply <br /> • No public sewer supply <br /> • No Time Warner Cable <br /> • No fiber-optic high speed data <br /> • No public natural gas <br /> • Plus they have had their access to their trash disposal cut in half <br /> So why is the county putting a fire station, literally in our back yard, that would frequently be <br /> disruptive to our lives, without ever giving them any modern utilities for decades? Put this on Hwy 54, just <br /> up the block! <br /> Finally, as most of the area homeowners have been and still are predominantly African-American; <br /> this abuse of power, stealth and ability seems all too familiar to the Rogers Road water situation in Orange <br /> County. <br /> Thank you for your time. Please give us ours. <br /> Bill Holmberg - 1000 Sabre Court, Chapel Hill 27516 - 919-418-0140. <br /> Dave Laudicina read the following statement: <br /> My name is Dave Laudicina, and I am speaking for both my wife Becky and myself tonight. <br /> I am speaking tonight to urge you to adhere to the manager's budget recommendation and not <br /> raise the Orange County property tax rate. There are many reasons both internal to Orange county and <br /> external to justify not putting on any more tax burden on Orange County residents <br /> From an internal view we have been living with unfair and inequitable property values since 2009. <br /> Recently, you all voted to postpone the next revaluation till 2017. This was rushed through without giving <br /> Orange County citizens adequate opportunity to detail their specific concerns in a public hearing <br /> environment, even though in 2009 thousands of residents turned out in various protests to tell you the <br /> 2009 valuations were wrong. We can see the proof of this in valuations data. Two comparable properties <br /> in our area recently sold for 15% lower than the 2009 valuation. A property in our neighborhood sold for <br /> 15% lower than the 2009 valuation in 2011, and a property directly behind our property sold for 19% lower <br /> than the 2009 valuation in 2012. Until the property valuations are balanced to fair and equitable <br /> valuations, we believe it is prudent to not put anymore unfair property tax burden on Orange County <br /> residents. <br /> From an external viewpoint, NC residents, especially in our demographic (seniors on a fixed <br /> income), are under a statewide assault from all aspects in terms of taxes. Proposals to change the tax <br /> calculations in NC put a huge new burden on low and middle income earners residing in NC. The <br /> proposals place social security income in the classes of income that the NC income tax will apply. Even <br />